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   Following is a question by the Hon Choy So-yuk and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, at the Legislative Council meeting today (June 8) :

Question:

   It has been reported that the Directives on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment and on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment, which will be implemented by the European Union ("EU") in August this year and in July next year respectively, separately require producers importing electronic and electrical products to finance recovery of electronic waste, and banning the use of six specified hazardous substances (including lead, mercury and cadmium etc) in these products.  In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a)  of the amount of electronic and electrical products dumped into local landfills in each of the past three years, broken down by the product classification specified in the above directives; and

(b)  whether it will follow the example of EU by implementing similar directives in Hong Kong through legislation, thereby reducing the amount of disposed electronic and electrical products dumped in Hong Kong and promoting the recycling of such products, as well as ensuring that the producers concerned will use environmentally-friendly materials; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

Madam President,

(a)  The quantities of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) disposed of at landfills in the last three years were:

         WEEE disposed of at landfills (tonnes)

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2004                        18433

2003                        18674

2002                        23200

   There is no breakdown of WEEE disposed of at landfills by individual category.

(b)  The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive of EU mainly requires the producers of electrical and electronic equipment imported into the Member States of the European Union to be responsible for the collection, treatment, recovery and disposal of most of these products put on the market after August 2005.  For products put on the market before August 2005, the producers are required to share the responsibility for the collection, treatment, recovery and disposal of such products in proportion to their respective share of the market.  This requirement shares the spirit of Product Responsibility Scheme (PRS).  Under the PRS, the producers, importers, retailers and consumers should share the responsibility for the proper handling of products at the post-consumption stage, with a view to reducing waste and raising the recovery rate.

   The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) began a study in March 2005 on the introduction of a Product Responsibility Scheme (PRS) for various waste electrical and electronic appliances.  Drawing on overseas experience, we have conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of various options, the impacts on the industry and stakeholders and other factors. We will consult the public on the scheme in due course.

   The Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive requires the producers of electrical and electronic equipment to ensure that the products they place on the market from 1 July 2006 do not contain such hazardous substances as lead, mercury and cadmium unless the elimination or substitution of the substance is technically or scientifically impracticable.  The EPD will continue to monitor the trend of policy development in this aspect among the international community in order to consider the need for introducing similar regulations in Hong Kong.

Ends/Wednesday, June 8, 2005

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